After dinner, we head to the movie theater on Main Street and choose an older movie rather than a new release. Once the movie starts rolling, it’s only us and a handful of other people, and because we’re seated in the back, we’re able to get a little handsy. Not in a gross way, but I can touch his thigh, and we can hold hands, and he even nuzzles my neck a few times. I’ve never been happier.
When the movie lets out, we end up back at my apartment, and before I can even fully shut the door behind us, Merrick is on me.
“Fuck, it’s hard to keep my hands off of you,” he growls, yanking my clothes off as we stumble toward my bedroom.
By the time we get to my bed, my shirt is off and my jeans are undone, so as I’m kicking my shoes off and removing my pants, Merrick strips out of his clothes like they’re on fire.
“Come here,” he commands, resting his hand on the back of my head and drawing me into him.
His mouth lands on mine before his tongue runs across my bottom lip. “I love your mouth, Ali,” he says, his voice thick with lust. “I could write songs about these lips,” he continues, kissing me softly.
I moan and melt into his arms as our kiss intensifies, then he pushes me back until I fall onto the mattress.
Merrick goes into my drawer and grabs the lube and a condom, before getting on his knees between my legs.
“I’m about to bury myself so deep inside you, but first, I want your cock in my mouth.”
He bends over me and skillfully wraps his pink lips around my cock, taking me slowly and deeply into his throat.
“Goddamn, Merrick,” I groan, my hand going to his head.
He moans around my cock, bobbing his head up and down, coating me with his saliva. When he pulls off, he strokes me and never takes his eyes off mine.
When he starts massaging my balls, I throw my head back and squeeze my eyes closed. “Fuck.”
“Soon, baby,” he murmurs.
Then his mouth is back on me. He licks, sucks, and strokes me to the precipice of ecstasy, then he stops and lifts my legs up higher so he can lick lower.
“Mm.”
Merrick preps me for his cock with his talented tongue and fingers, and after several minutes, he pops open the bottle of lube and rubs the liquid between my cheeks. After he slides the condom over his impeccable cock, he squirts more lube onto himself.
“You ready?”
I nod, biting down on my lip. “Give it to me.”
He grabs his cock in his hand and slowly guides himself into me, his eyes dancing from my ass to my eyes, making sure I’m okay.
Once he’s all the way in, he braces himself over me and kisses my lips softly. “You’re too good for me,” he whispers, slowly moving his hips.
“You’re perfect,” I say. “Now fuck me.”
He chuckles, then starts rocking his hips back and forth, letting me feel every inch of him. As his movements begin picking up speed, he gets up on his knees and grabs my cock in his hand, stroking me.
“Jesus,” I mutter, my muscles tightening. “It’s so fucking good.”
He grunts, thrusting in deeper. “Stroke yourself for me, baby.”
I do as he says, and he lifts my legs up higher, hitting that perfect spot and sending a wave of electric currents through my body.
I’m completely blissed-out. My body is hot all over, while also simultaneously getting goose bumps. He does everything right, and my hand moves quicker and quicker over my throbbing erection.
“I’m gonna come,” I manage to say through grunts. “Oh shit.”
“Yes, baby. Let me see it.”
He gives me one deep and hard thrust, and I’m sent over the edge. My cum shoots out and lands on my sweat-slicked stomach.
“Fuck!”
Merrick growls at the sight and his hips move faster and faster, then he braces himself over me, resting on his forearms as he pummels into me, seeking his own release.
“Oh God. Oh God.”
“Yes,” I cry out, squeezing his ass cheeks in my hands.
His body tightens up and he lets out a deep roar as he comes.
It takes him a minute to catch his breath and slowly pull himself out of me. He runs his fingers over his stomach where my cum mixed with his sweat.
“I love when you make a mess.”
I roll my eyes while I smile. “You’re a disgusting perv, aren’t you?”
He brings his fingers to his mouth. “Yep.”
After we’ve showered and climbed into bed, he wraps himself around me and I push my ass into his crotch.
His fingers dance delicately across my arm, then he runs them through my hair. He’s quiet, and I can tell he has something on his mind, but I don’t ask.
He kisses my neck and whispers into my ear, “I love you, Alejandro. I love you so much it hurts.”
I’m pretty sure my heart’s about to break through my ribs and flop onto the floor. I spin around quickly, looking into his eyes. He looks sad. Maybe scared I don’t love him back.
I touch his cheek with the palm of my hand. “I love you, too. I probably always have.”
He grins. “Wanna kiss me?”
I laugh. “Definitely.”
We kiss so much we end up starting round two.
Later, as I’m falling asleep, I murmur, “Best date ever.”
He’s gone two days later.
14
Alejandro
Present Day
Lunch is awkward as fuck. Mom and Lili keep the conversation going, but me and Merrick don’t talk to each other at all.
“So, where you staying while you’re here?” Lili asks. “Elijah’s?”
Merrick shakes his head and finishes chewing his food. “No, Elijah’s a newlywed, so I didn’t want to interrupt whatever they have going on over there,” he replies with a grin. “I’m in a hotel.”
Mom gasps like he just said he was staying on the streets. “A hotel? No, that’s not good. Why don’t you stay with one of your other brothers?”
I keep my eyes on my food as he answers. “They have girlfriends, too. Cillian and his girlfriend just moved in together, and Royce and London live together and are elbow deep in their own wedding plans.”
“Mami, it’s not like he’s staying in Motel 6,” Lili says. “He’s rich. I’m sure he has a fancy suite or something.”
Mom raises her hands in defeat. “Well, I don’t know.”
“How long are you in town for?”
Lili asks the question I want the answer to, but I try not to act like I’m interested in the response as I casually take a sip of my soda.
“I’m not sure. I had a plan, but I’m not so sure anymore.”
I feel his eyes on me when he speaks, but I go back to my food.
“But you aren’t going to live here permanently again?”
“Lil, why are you badgering him?” I say.
“I’m not. I’m holding a conversation. Do you know how to do that?” she questions, rolling her eyes.
Merrick clears his throat. “I don’t really live anywhere permanently. We’ve recorded our previous albums in New York, so we usually stay there until that’s done, then soon after, we’re on the road. This is our first extended break from recording and touring, so I wanted to come home.”
“Do you think you’ll buy a house here in Gaspar? Or will you probably make home base New York?”
“Jesus, Lil, can we talk about anything else?” I ask.
Mom narrows her eyes at me before flashing a smile at Merrick. “So, you say your brothers are settling down. What about you, huh? Will you be able to settle down with this rock and roll stuff going on?”
Merrick chuckles nervously. “Um, I’m not really sure. I mean, of course I’d love to settle down, but I’d need to find somebody who’s okay with my rock and roll stuff,” he says, winking at Mom.
She smiles. “I see. Well, you know Alejandro’s gay, right?”
“Ma!” I exclaim.
“What?” she questions.
I shake my head. “Nothing.”
Merrick glances at me then back at my mom. “Yeah, I know.”
“Well, he doesn’t ever have any boyfriends,” Mom says. “I don’t know why. He’s handsome. He’s smart. But he doesn’t find anybody to date.”
My cheeks feel like they’re on fire.
“Is that what it was?” Lili asks, looking between me and Merrick with a furrow in her brow.
Oh no.
“What?” Mom questions. Confused.
“Why you two stopped talking. What messed up your friendship. Did you—”
Before she can finish her question, Mari lets out a high-pitched screech from the living room, and Lili rushes to tend to her.
Me and Merrick share a look.
Mom, completely unaware of anything, says, “You boys gonna go out later? They’re having some sort of movie thing at the park tonight. Setting up a screen and having some local vendors out. Might be fun.”
“I’m sure Merrick’s busy, Mom. Plus, he’s famous. He doesn’t want to be out and about.”
He turns his head to inspect me, then focuses his attention on my mom. “I’m actually not busy at all, and that does sound fun. You think you can convince your son to go with me?”
Mom wipes her mouth with a napkin and smiles. “Of course he’ll go with you.” She pins me with a stern look that dares me to say otherwise.
“I thought I was a grown man.”
She laughs. “You’re still my son, no matter how old you are. Take your friend out. Be nice.”
“You’re not worried about being seen?” I ask, barely looking at his handsome face.
“It’ll be dark, right?”
I shrug.
Mom gets up to take her dishes to the kitchen, but she fastens her gaze to Merrick before she walks away. “I expect to see you around here while you’re in town, okay? You two were as thick as thieves growing up. I always felt like I had two sons.”
Merrick smiles at her. “You keep making food like this and you’ll have a hard time keeping me away.”
She laughs and swats his shoulder.
“So, I guess we’re going out tonight,” I mumble.
15
Merrick
Present Day
“All right, let’s go,” Ali murmurs, making his way through the front door of his mom’s house.
“Don’t sound so excited.”
“I’m not.”
Clearly, Ali didn’t spend the rest of the afternoon and early evening as excited as me about our night together.
“My car or yours?” I ask, ignoring his shitty mood.
He shrugs. “Doesn’t matter to me.”
“I’ll drive then.”
Once inside the black Escalade I rented, I start it up and begin making my way toward Meadow Acres.
“I’m glad your mom forced you to come out with me.”
Ali snorts. “Yeah, she’s fun like that.”
I sneak a glance at him and notice he’s staring out the window. He’s barely looked at me for more than a few seconds today.
“Why haven’t you been looking at me? Am I ugly now or what?” I joke, hoping to lighten the mood.
He makes a noise I can’t quite figure out. Did he laugh? Is he annoyed?
“I’ve never been to this outdoor movie thing,” he says, changing the subject. “So I don’t know what to tell you to expect.”
“That’s fine. We can figure it out together. We’ve done that before, right?”
Again, he makes a noise in the back of his throat. Pretty sure he’s annoyed by me.
We don’t speak until we’re at the park and looking for a place to sit.
The grass is littered with blankets and chairs, and a lot of people. I spot a few vendors selling popcorn, hotdogs, and pretzels. The drink station has one half dedicated to all your non-alcoholic stuff, and the other half offering beer to people of age.
“Want something to eat?” I ask.
He gives me a look. “I’ll get it. I don’t need you to be recognized right away. What do you want?”
“Whatever you get is fine.”
“All right. Pick a place for us to sit and I’ll find you.”
I decide sitting toward the back where there’s less people is probably best. We don’t have blankets or chairs, but that’s okay. I’m not really here to watch the movie, I just want to be near Ali.
A few minutes later, Ali approaches with his hands full.
“I got everything. Hotdogs, pretzels, popcorn, and I decided to get Coke instead of beer.”
“Cool. Thanks,” I say, taking some of the items off his hands.
“Still not really sure what the movie is,” he says, sitting next to me.
“That’s all right. Doesn’t really matter to me.”
His eyes cut to mine briefly, but he doesn’t say anything. We get halfway done with our food before I decide to speak again.
“What do you do now?”
After swallowing his food, he answers, but he doesn’t look at me when he does. “I’m a science teacher at a high school, and I coach the football team.”
“No shit?” I ask with a laugh. “That’s cool, man.”
“Yeah, I like it.”
“Your sister said you were in town, so where do you live now?”
He lets loose a little sigh. “Chaparral.”
“Oh, so not too far away.”
He shakes his head and pushes his hand in the bag of popcorn, still not looking at me.
“So, you’re free all summer?”
Because I’m studying his face pretty hard, I notice when his brows furrow slightly. His eyes once again flicker in my direction, but only for a second.
“I have some plans with friends, but yeah, I guess I’ll be pretty free.” He chews his food, takes a sip, then says, “Why? You gonna be here all summer?”
“Probably.”
The movie starts, and it’s some animated family movie, but I don’t care. I’m more focused on getting Ali to actually look at me for more than two seconds. I want him to ask me questions instead of just giving my questions the quickest responses.
“Maybe I can hang out with you and your friends.” I throw it out there, hoping he’ll have more to say.
He surprises me when he starts laughing, and though I don’t know why he’s laughing, I can’t help but smile. I’ve missed his laugh, and that tiny dimple that appears on his left cheek.
“What’s so funny?” I finally ask.
“You don’t want to hang out with me and my friends.”
“Why not? As long as they’re cool and won’t be all weird around me, I’ll be fine.”
“Okay, maybe I’ll keep that in mind,” he says, leaving me wondering what was so funny.
“It’s good to see you smile,” I tell him, shifting around so I can face him. “You’ve barely looked at me today, and you’ve been so serious the whole time.”
He looks at me and sighs. “What’re you doing, Kingston?”
Kingston. He likes to call me by my last name when he’s annoyed with me, and it’s always accentuated, just to get the point across.
I pop a piece of popcorn in my mouth. “Nothing. Just eating and hanging out with a friend.”
“Why are you here?”
“I told you. I’m visiting my family while I have the time off.”
“But you’re not with your brothers. You’re here with me.”
“I have time for everybody,” I answer with a shrug.
He looks away again, facing the screen. I nudge his foot with mine, bringing his gaze back to my face.
“Why can’t you look at me?”
After a few seconds of silence, he huffs and gives me an answer. “Because you’re too fucking handsome. Because being near you again is driving me crazy. Because when I look at you, I remember everything, and I’ve been trying to forget you for years. But here you are, back in town, back in my house, and trying to work your way back into my heart. I can’t allow it
to happen.”
His words slam into me, making me jolt back a little. “I’m not trying to work my way back into your heart. I’m just wondering if I’m still there.”
Ali shakes his head, frustrated. “Why does it matter? What’s your plan now, Kingston? You here to tell me you want a future with me? And then once I drop everyone and everything to be with you and get my hopes up, you’ll leave? Is that it?”
“No, Ali, that’s not it,” I say softly, realizing he’s too mad to hear me out right now. This is going to take some time.
“Then what? What do you want from me, Kingston?”
“I’d settle for being your friend again.”
Ali snorts and angles his head back to the screen. “Friends.”
“I could use a friend, Ali. You’re the only one who knows me through and through.”
His head slowly swivels back in my direction. Seconds feel like hours as he studies my face, but I don’t dare break the contact. This is the longest he’s looked at me, and I’m going to enjoy his gaze on me before he decides to turn away.
His lips pull up in the tiniest of grins. “You’re so needy.”
Relief floods me, and as much as I want to throw myself at him and pull him into an hour-long hug, I just grin. “Only for you.”
The rest of the time we’re at the park, things flow a little smoother. We talk about Lexie and Leo’s wedding, and I fill him in on what’s going on with my brothers. We don’t talk about us—past or future. We just try to be friends again.
But I can’t help but think back to when I broke that friendship. It will always be my biggest regret.
16
Merrick
5 ½ Years Ago
“You all packed and ready to go?” Elijah asks me, standing in my doorway.
“I think so. I mean, I’ll be back.”
He grins. “If you do come back, it won’t be for long. You’re on your way to the big-time, baby bro.”
My smile grows. “I can’t believe I’m about to go to New York to record an album! That’s crazy, right?”
Risking it All: An M/M, rockstar, second chance romance (Kingston Brothers Book 4) Page 6